Unique Photo Products of Your Best New Year's Eve Memories

New Year's Eve spent with family and friends is a very important highlight of the year. The turn of the year is not only a good opportunity for throwing a huge party, but it's also the perfect occasion for reviewing the whole past year. With ifolor photo products, you can always have by your side your best memories from the previous year and unforgettable New Year's Eve moments. Design your completely personalised yearbook with photos from family vacations, humorous snapshots, and unforgettable moments all in a high-quality ifolor photo book. Usher in the new year with an individualised photo calendar, which will accompany you with your most favourite photos for the whole year to come. You could also use brilliant snapshots of a previous year's New Year's Eve party with loved ones or the fireworks at midnight and stylishly showcase them with an ifolor wall decoration. Spectacular motifs of sparklers and other lights in the night sky also make the perfect photo(s) for designing a creative photo gift such as a trendy smartphone case or for self-made photo decorations made from photo prints of your best digital photos.

Tips: How to Photograph Fireworks

With these tips and tricks you'll be able to take colourful firework photos this New Year's Eve.

New Year’s Eve – Ushering in the New Year with Fireworks and Traditions

Why do we celebrate the beginning of a new year?

Both the end and beginning of a year have always been cause for large celebrations. The origins of celebrating New Year’s Eve can be traced back to the ancient Romans. The Roman pope Sylvester I died on 31 December 335. At first, the anniversary of the pope’s death was declared a remembrance day for deceased saints. In 1582, the last day of the year was transferred to the 31st of December due to the adoption of the Gregorian calendar and thus also coincided with the date of the pope’s death.

Around the world, the first day of the calendar year is known as New Year’s Day. Due to various methods of calculating time in diverse cultures and religions around the world, this does not occur everywhere at the same time. Even the ancient Romans celebrated New Year’s Day to usher in the beginning of a new year. The beginning of the Roman consular year was changed to the 1st of January in 153 BC and, later with the calendar reform, was also designated as the beginning of the calendar year.

Why are there fireworks on New Year’s Eve?

Celebrating New Year’s Eve, as we know it today, can be traced back to pagan customs and traditions of Germanic tribes. They wanted to cast out the dreaded god of war Odin with loud spectacles and fire. According to legend, Odin would fly through the air in the middle of the dark season, which is why fire rituals were carried out on the 31st of December. Thus, out of fear of the beginning of the new year, people made as much noise as possible to drive away evil spirits. Also, wooden wheels and torches were set alight to keep the dreaded darkness at bay.

Today, this tradition can still be found all around the world. At midnight on New Year’s, grandiose colourful firework displays light up the skies, especially in bigger cities. Even in smaller towns, colourful rockets and loud firecrackers are ignited and set off. The largest and most spectacular firework displays in Switzerland can be seen in Basel and Zurich, where this tradition is celebrated with countless food stalls and Glühwein. The firework display in Zurich is launched from three different ships and is thus especially impressive.

What are some special New Year’s Eve traditions in Switzerland?

Besides the traditional fireworks display at midnight, some out of the ordinary New Year’s Eve traditions have come about in various regions in Switzerland. For instance, on New Year’s Eve in the city of Laupen located in the canton of Bern, the so-called “Achetringele” takes place. Here, locals walk in a parade with colourful figures. The past year is bid farewell with rhymes and large bells are rung to keep evil spirits away during the new year.

Silvesterkläuse (New Year’s mummers) are another typical Swiss New Year’s Eve tradition found in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden. Here, multiple Kläuse meet together in the village squares during the early morning hours with bells to ring in Frühklausen. Later, participants don on their “Groscht” and the Silvesterkläuse go from house to house in groups with their bells and sing Zäuelen / Naturjodeln (a slower and quieter form of yodelling).

In the Zürcher Oberland, New Year’s Eve is celebrated with a large fire, ringing of bells, and the “Dreschen.” The “Dreschen” commemorates the grain harvest. Ten men strike a long wooden board on New Year’s Eve at night to symbolically thresh the old year to ensure the new year brings a good harvest along with it.

One of the most important traditions in Switzerland and around the world is the sending of New Year’s greetings to friends and family. Along with favourite sayings, poems, or personal greetings, everyone around the world wishes loved ones all the best for the new year. The more personalised the greeting cards are, the greater the joy of the recipient.